Police launch burglary awareness campaign

Ben O'Connell

Northumbria Police is urging the public to join them this November to 'beat the burglar'.

Officers across the force will be focusing on burglary during November in a bid to raise awareness of burglary and to try and prevent burglaries from happening.

Burglary is one of the most impactive and devastating crimes that a person can suffer and police want to do all they can to protect people from falling prey to burglars.

All year round officers are relentless in their bid to catch burglars and bring them before the courts and are hoping that this month long push on burglary will make people that little bit more savvy about how they can help #BeatTheBurglar and keep them out of their homes.

Detective Superintendent David Felton said: "Throughout the month of November, we will be doing lots of work to educate people around what steps they can take to help stop burglary. Burglary is a horrible, devastating crime and we want to work with the public to help protect them from it.

"Historically, at this time of year with the onset of darker nights, we see a rise in burglaries as thieves use the cover of darkness to burgle. We need the public to work with us to help us prevent burglaries from taking place. Our priority is catching offenders who commit burglaries and taking them off our streets. But crime prevention is key and by working together we can help crack down on burglary.

"Anyone who has been a victim of burglary will tell you that one of the most difficult things to come to terms with - apart from losing expensive and precious belongings - is that someone has been in your home, searched through your private belongings and invaded your personal space. We want to help put a stop to that and have been working with convicted burglars to find out how they identify homes to burgle, the houses they avoid and what items they are looking for so we can pass on the information to the public.

"It was clear from speaking to ex-offenders that quite often they don't have sophisticated techniques or spend hours surveying streets before striking - the majority were opportunist thieves who looked for houses that were in darkness or looked unlived in, for doors and windows that were insecure or for homes with expensive items left on display.

"Throughout this month, we will be educating people on the crime prevention steps they can follow to make it harder for opportunist thieves and burglars to strike."

Throughout November, police will be carrying out days of action throughout the force to target those suspected of being involved in burglary as well as hosting crime prevention events, property-marking days and publishing a series of #BeatTheBurglar tips on social media accounts (@northpol) to help residents protect their property.